1271: Shai Lavi, Chef/Owner of The Third Space

Summary

Podcast Summary: Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Episode 1271: Shai Lavi, Chef/Owner of The Third Space

Date: May 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation between host Eric Cacciatore and Shai Lavi, chef and owner of The Third Space in Atlanta. Through a candid, energetic exchange, Shai shares his entrepreneurial journey from Israel to the U.S., the evolution of his personal and professional philosophies, and the unique operational model and culture behind The Third Space—an innovative events-driven restaurant. The episode is a masterclass in intentional hospitality, empowerment, and redefining what success means in the modern restaurant world.

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Main Themes and Key Insights

1. Philosophy for Success & Leadership

• Be a Solution, Not a Problem
  • "Always be a solution. Not up to the issues, not a problem." — Shai Lavi [07:40]
• Leadership is about taking responsibility across all domains, being adaptable, and always seeking positive outcomes.
• Avoiding drama by neither playing the hero, victim, nor persecutor; focus on solutions and personal agency.
• "It's all under our responsibilities. Take whatever comes and find the way, find the path, find the structure." — Shai Lavi [06:44]

2. The Third Space: Unique Hospitality Model

• Private Events & Ticketed Experiences
  • The Third Space hosts private events, with one party or seating per night (40 seats maximum), selling out four months in advance.
  • When not booked for private events, the restaurant opens for ticketed seats, creating a communal, immersive dining experience.
  • Pricing for tickets averages around $175 per person.
  • Guests are treated with high trust in the chef's vision, and menus are designed daily based on seasonal, local produce and dietary preferences.
• Zero Waste & High Profitability
  • The model enables precise cost controls, minimal waste, and robust margins: "You can probably do profit margins in excess of 50." — Eric [16:30]
• Staffing and Operations
  • Staff schedule themselves based on the needs of the week—a flexible, self-regulated system.
  • "Our menu is daily... based on what the farm brings that day." — Shai Lavi [13:42]

3. Shai’s Personal and Entrepreneurial Journey

• Early Drive & Diverse Background
  • Shai began as an entrepreneur at 14, running landscaping and event businesses in Israel, later running a media/marketing company, and even a toy store.
  • Culinary passion developed organically, influenced by family traditions and an eventual realization it could be his life's work.
• Moving to the U.S. for Agency
  • Sought personal and familial freedom and anonymity after coming from a well-known Israeli family.
  • "I wanted to be me. No labels." — Shai Lavi [27:19]
• Staging and Networking
  • Intentional acclimation to the U.S. restaurant scene: staged at several top restaurants, built community, and learned business language (including acquiring a real estate license).
• Entrepreneurship and Learning from Failure
  • Multiple ventures—catering, bakery (Rosina Bakehouse), partnerships—provided valuable (and sometimes painful) business and personal lessons:
  • "No business will ever come between me and my wife and my family anymore." — Shai Lavi [43:29]

4. Ownership, Business Skills, and Empowerment

• Need for Business Acumen Among Chefs
  • "The biggest thing missing in our community is that chefs have to learn business." — Shai Lavi [37:38]
  • Encourages young chefs to develop entrepreneurial skills, not just culinary talent.
• Empowerment, Lifting Others, and Legacy
  • Commitment to mentoring and elevating the next generation (e.g., chef Noah Myers' journey from teenager to bakery owner).
  • "We're here to give away our recipes, our talents... I love teaching, giving it away." — Shai Lavi [39:17]

5. Intentional Hospitality and Community Building

• Presence, Personalization, and Memory
  • Reservations are personal, via a Google Doc; each guest is 'seen' and remembered.
  • Shai draws inspiration from both European traditions of communal spaces and the concept of the "third space"—a home away from home that fosters community and conversation.
• Transformative Experience and Cultural Exchange
  • Sharing culture and perspectives through food; encourages deeper connection, curiosity, and empathy among people.
  • "It's the way I perceive the journey more than the culture." — Shai Lavi [28:34]

6. Adapting, Innovating, and Giving Back

• Diversification and Future Growth
  • The Third Space leverages events, catering, offsite work, meal plan programs, and select sponsorships to build resilience and impact.
  • "Be good at what you do and choose sponsors wisely—it has to align with your values." — Shai Lavi [68:22]
• Non-profit Efforts
  • New initiative: The Spoon, supporting veteran moms and families in need.
  • "If you need help, we'll be there." — Shai Lavi [77:24]
• Transformation Economy
  • Shai's personalized meal plans are transformative—developed to shift habits and health, embodying the essence of the experience/transformation economy.
  • Recommends 'Joe Pine, The Transformation Economy' for further reading.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Always be a solution. I love that, man. Great way to get this thing started." — Eric & Shai [07:46]
• "If you are a leader, you're the one with the most solutions." — Shai Lavi [07:39]
• "Treat every customer like they're a future investor." — Shai Lavi [41:16]
• "The business is working for me. I don't work for my business." — Shai Lavi [43:55]
• "Trust and track: extend trust but have systems to track results." — Eric [46:07]
• "Children are chaos. Restaurants are completely chaotic. Exciting if you know how to hone down that chaos." — Shai Lavi [49:09]
• "People love chaos because it's fun—and it's exciting." — Eric [50:01]
• "To recreate this, you gotta live the way we live... To copy it is passion." — Shai Lavi [50:18]
• “I use time as currency. I choose to give time and I don’t waste it. I gift it.” — Shai Lavi [53:44]
• "If you're intentional with your space, your time, your community, you create something much more meaningful than just a meal." — Eric [55:09]
• "We are what we are because of food." — Shai Lavi [79:17]
• "Be the solution, never the issue. Be present. Lift others." — Shai Lavi [84:52–85:22, his three pieces of legacy advice]

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Timeline of Key Segments

• [05:05] Shai’s Mantra & Leadership Philosophy
• [07:57] The Third Space Business Model Explained (Private Events, Ticketing, Zero Waste)
• [16:52] Shai’s Personal Story: Early Entrepreneurship in Israel
• [22:36] Lessons from Early Entrepreneurial Journey
• [24:11] Motivation for Moving to the U.S.; Family and Personal Agency
• [28:03] Creating a Culture of Empowerment and Intentional Hospitality
• [33:39] Staging, Early Culinary Experiences in America
• [36:57] Building Community through Food
• [39:42] Business Skills & Empowerment for Chefs
• [43:29] Lessons Learned from Business Partnerships
• [46:07] Trust & Tracking, Emotional Leadership vs. Data Focus
• [49:01] The Creative Role of Chaos in Restaurants
• [53:44] Time as the Most Important Resource; Intentionality
• [58:14] The Third Space as a Modern Community Hub
• [61:14] How The Third Space Came Into Being
• [66:15] Social Media, Marketing, Organic Growth
• [69:26] Future Plans, Diversification, and the Experience/Transformation Economy
• [76:48] Non-Profit: The Spoon, Supporting Veteran Moms & Families
• [79:17] Reflections on the Role of Food in Human Evolution and Society
• [80:38] Hopes for the Future of Hospitality and Humanity
• [82:26] Simplicity in Operations (No POS, Simple Reservation System)
• [83:55] Three Pieces of Legacy Wisdom

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Actionable Takeaways

• Stay True to Your Vision: Lean into your unique identity, culture, and values.
• Embrace Controlled Chaos: Creativity and adaptability can drive experience and profitability, especially at small scale.
• Prioritize Community and Connection: Build around guest relationships, not just transactions.
• Be Intentional with Time: Time is a precious currency—you can’t reclaim it, but you can give it meaning.
• Empower and Mentor: Build systems that elevate others around you; your legacy is the lives you touch.
• Learn the Business Side: Culinary talent and artistic passion must be paired with business skills for success.
• Keep Operations Simple: Less tech, fewer complications—focus on what matters.
• Give Back: Success means using your platform to support others, whether through mentorship, employment, or charity.

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Shai Lavi’s Legacy Advice [84:49–85:22]

1. Be the solution, never the issue.
2. Be present.
3. Lift others.

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Connect with Shai

• Instagram: @shai_lavi_atl
• The Third Space: @thethirdspaceatlanta
• Website: thirdspaceatl.com
• Open to DMs, personal responses guaranteed.

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Recommended Reading

• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• The Transformation Economy by Joe Pine

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Final Words

This episode exemplifies how entrepreneurs can chart their own course, deliver transformative hospitality rooted in authenticity, and use their platforms to elevate both business and community. Shai Lavi’s journey is proof that success as a restaurateur is as much about who you are and how you lead, as what you serve.

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Want more?
Join the next live session with Shai Lavi in the Restaurant Unstoppable community. See show notes on restaurantunstoppable.com for details.

Transcript

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Welcome to restaurant unstoppable. For 10 years and over 1000 episodes I've been traveling the country chasing word of mouth leads and having in person only long form discussions with the industry's finest owners and operators. Our mission is to inspire, empower and transform the restaurant industry as by bridging the gap between this generation's leaders and the next. Listen to today's guest and so many others and get one step closer to becoming unstoppable. What up Unstoppables? Maybe you remember episode 1260 when Albert Sanchez told us how he has shaved nearly $500 off his tech stack costs. That's because today restaurant operations looks like stacks of SOFTW services. Translation, it looks like stacks of monthly expenses. But tomorrow restaurant operations will look like the reverse engineering of your own custom software specifically for your unique operation. Mark your calendars because on May 19th at 11am Eastern, past guest Albert Sanchez will be kicking off a Vibe coding restaurant software 101 class. This is an eight part series. Head over to restaurantunstoppable.com vibe coding to claim your seat. And we're only letting 15 people into this course, so don't hesitate if you want to learn how to create your own solutions and lower your operational costs. This is the future. Again, head over to restaurant unstoppable.com vibecoding that's V I B E C O D I N G and when you sign up, we'll send you the step by step syllabus of exactly how to do this. Restaurant Owners, are you still using ADP Paychecks or indeed, 35,000 plus restaurants have already switched to Workstream, the all in one payroll hiring in HR platform actually built for restaurants. 46 of the top 50 restaurant brands rely on Workstream to hire faster, stay compliant and run payroll in minutes across all their locations, visit workstream us/unstoppable for three months free payroll. That's workstream us s/unstoppable. This episode is made possible by US Foods running a successful restaurant takes more than just great food.

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[B]

Allow me to introduce to you today's

[A]

guest chef, owner of the third space

[B]

shy lobby shy My man. Are you feeling unstoppable today?

[C]

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me in your podcast today.

[B]

Thank you for joining me. And I it's not every day that I get to experience my guests restaurants. The full experience, the, the vision you had, the experience that you're trying to create for people.

[A]

I was here.

[B]

I got. It was a Sunday night.

[C]

I think so.

[B]

Yeah. No, it was Saturday night just before. Yeah, Giving Kitchen. And I got to experience this with all the. The Giving Kitchen folks. Ryan Turner, Chris Goss and I had no idea that day that I was gonna be getting you on the show. And then Ryan was like, you gotta get him on the show. And I was like, I think you're right. We gotta make this happen. And we made it happen. Thank you for making time for me. Short notice. I can't wait to dive into who you are and how you got to where you are today. But let's get that motivational inspirational ball rolling with a success quote or mantra. What do you got?

[C]

I have a bunch.

[B]

You can give me more.

[C]

I'm gonna choose one that has been on my journey for the past. I want to say since we moved here. Which was 11 in this space. No, since we moved to the U.S. got it. So approximately 11 years ago. Okay. It's something that's been coming to me more and more and becoming more into reality more and more and be a solution, never an issue. But if you need to be an issue, then you're somebody's problem.

[B]

Yeah. Have you heard of Cartman's drama triangle?

[C]

No.

[B]

It's like this psychologist created this thing called Cartman's. I think his name was Cartman. Drama triangle.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And it's this idea that you're either a victim, a hero, or a prosecutor. And you originally when I first heard that, I'm like, oh, you want to be the hero, but the truth is you don't want to be any of those people.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because if you're any one of those people, you're in drama. Yeah. You're contributing to drama. So the goal is to identify and recognize if you are trying to be a hero. Ego. Right. Or you're taking all the responsibility, you're bearing all the load. Right. And you're not doing yourself any favors. You're going to burn out. Right. You're contributing to drama. You're the victim. You're complaining. Why is me like, woe is me. Like, this isn't fair. And then the. The persecutor is blaming, right? Like trying to stand up. Like, if you're any one of those people whose fault you're. You're. You're not solving the problem to bring it back to what you shared. So you want to always move towards the solution.

[C]

If for me, it's more of like, it's all under our responsibilities. And I think more people need to grow into the leadership role of like, just take whatever comes and find the way, find the path, find the structure. When you think about a chef, right, what do we do? We're cooks, right. But we are trained to do all stations. It doesn't matter. Front of the house, back at a house, back office, you know, inventory, whatever. You know how to perform all positions. Therefore you are the guy in charge. Now the guy in charge comes with a load. Big one.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So you're the one with the most solutions.

[B]

Say the quote one more time for

[C]

me, Always be a solution. Not up to the issues, not a

[B]

problem, Always be a solution. I love that man. Great way to get this thing started. So before we dive into your story, tell me about where you are today. What is your business today?

[C]

So we do private events. We do private events. Very honed down to a level of I will modify to my guests to my clients needs and ideas of visions of like, what. What it is that they want to like it's a collaboration, the best party ever, but within reason that it should be there. I'll explain.

[B]

Okay, well, do you want to explain now or do you want to.

[C]

Yeah, okay, I'll explain what it is. It means, I believe that there is too much of client chef, client restaurant, client event, venue, control, opinions. That needs to go back a little bit to the trust of the chef and the crew.

[B]

Right. You're a guest in my space, trust me.

[C]

And you will be accommodated with the up most. The best hospitality we can. But you cannot tell me what it is that I need to cook that is not in your. In. In our season or request a very special and specific. Because then our credit our. Our essence as being hospitable. Kind of get lost.

[B]

Yeah. I think that works especially well in markets like Atlanta, big markets, because your people will find you if you're true to who you are, you know, And I think that it's. It's hard in today's marketplace to do that because the. The consumer habits. Right. Their expectations, we've kind of steered them in this. This direction of the guest is always right. Right. But we've. We've conditioned them into thinking that.

[C]

I think the culture of the guest is always right is not entirely wrong. Yes. We need to be professionals. 100. But if a guest is being nasty, they're not right.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So we understand. So your private events only. How often would you say you host an event, like 1. 1. How many days a week?

[C]

How many events a night? We're almost five, four, five times a week.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So it's back to back. Sometimes when we don't have. Let's say we have four nights of private events. I will fill up the seats with opening the space for our community and our guests as ticketed seats. So you book a seat not necessarily by a menu or by an item. You. You book an experience for the night.

[B]

Okay, so it isn't just one private party, like any. It could be multiple parties filling the seat.

[C]

One day, one party, period.

[B]

Got it. Got it.

[C]

And also when we do the, you know, the ticketed seats, it's your seat for the night, so the control of time is yours. I don't want to rush any guests from my place. I don't want to rush anyone out or like, stress them out by being late. I want you to be able to have the time.

[B]

It's your space until you're done.

[C]

Until you're done.

[B]

There's even a shower here in case they need it.

[C]

The shower is supposed to be Confidential. Actually, we also have an apartment above the restaurant that we host chefs that are coming from abroad from different states to do residencies here. So the shower is the.

[B]

Want me to edit that part out?

[C]

No, it's okay. We don't like.

[B]

So. So I just want to make sure I understand. So you do one party a night, meaning one sitting.

[C]

One sitting a night.

[B]

And it. Does everybody in that party have to know each other? Is it. Or can they be. Each seat is. Technically, you can have 10 different groups of people. Say 10 groups of three.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Right. And they're all a part of one party.

[C]

So private event, somebody's party, they control who's coming.

[B]

That's one thing. Private event, somebody's party. But ticketed seats. Got it.

[C]

You can come solo, which. We have guests that are coming alone. Yeah, we have guests that are coming with a partner. We have guests that are coming table of 5 or 10.

[B]

So if somebody books the whole space and it's their space, you can't buy a ticket. Yeah, Got it. And on average, how many butts and seats when you do a party?

[C]

40.

[B]

40. And do you sell out every night?

[C]

Four and a half months in advance.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So many benefits to this model.

[B]

Like, you can get your costing down, you can project. You know exactly what's coming. There's like zero. Close to zero waste.

[C]

I'm sure there is zero waste.

[B]

Zero waste. And how many people are here helping you on a night?

[C]

It changes, and it changes by the night. We have crew members that are part time. We have crew members that are full time. We have crew members that they work it between themselves. Because sometimes his shift is finishing at this time and this one wants to come a little later. So they figure it out in the factor of having a schedule. We don't schedule in the normal ways. We send the schedule of the week, and by my schedule of the week, they figure it out. Got it. So I just let them know what I need and how much prep.

[B]

You put the open doing the open shifts and people can sign up.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

I love that.

[C]

And more than that. And. And I'll go a little deeper. Our menu is daily.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So what it does, our farm, our farmer brings the. The product, whatever is on peak that day. On the day off, we prep. We create a giant prep list for that day based on that prep list. We build our menus to the tietary restriction to the needs of whatever seat is booked. And then by 5:30, we have a menu that we established that's real cool. Now it's not Just weekly. It's seasonal and indices and it changes too.

[B]

So we'll say on average four nights, three a week, 45-45-4.5. And how much does a ticket cost?

[C]

It changes between 100 to 275.

[B]

100 to 275. So we'll just say 175.

[C]

Yeah. Our average ticket is 175. That's what most of them choose.

[B]

And how many seats? 40 restaurant owners.

[A]

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[B]

And I think the cool thing is like, you have bounce, you have freedom. You're doing exactly what you want. Unapologetic. And I think if anything comes out of this conversation, I want people to know that they can, they can do whatever they want.

[C]

We have fun.

[B]

Yeah. And. And it's so clear as soon as I walked in here. Yeah.

[C]

You, the language, it's madness.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I love it. I. I enjoy the chaos so much. The fact that we also exposed means everything to me.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I don't want to hide anything. So if I'm cooking for you, I want you to engage us. I want you to be a part of it. I want you to like, see what's happening, what's coming for you. It creates a level of excitement that no one else can produce.

[B]

I love that you can do really well with a business model.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

I'm thinking you could probably do profit margins in excess of 50.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah. So we'll just leave it at that.

[C]

Yeah. And anyone want additional information, they can reach out personal.

[B]

Got it.

[C]

No problem.

[B]

So great way to get this thing started. So let's go back. Where does it make sense to start sharing your story?

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Do you want to go back to Israel? Do you want to go to when you got here?

[C]

We, I mean, we can go anywhere. We'll do, we'll do Bytes okay, let

[B]

me just drop what I learned real quick.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Choose to go deeper into that. So you were in the Israeli Navy.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Is that correct? And you were also an entrepreneur. I saw that you had a toy store at one point. I think you were an appliance guy at one point. Like, you were fixing appliances. Is that.

[C]

I know that we had a media.

[B]

Media. Got it.

[C]

Yeah. And fundraisers. So we used to do, like, seed money.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Vc.

[B]

I also saw. Let's see here. Appliance or the. You said that was the media and you did marketing. Is that the same thing? Marketing. Okay, so you were an entrepreneur. Do you did marketing and this was all before you came here in 2016?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay, so where does it make sense? Where do you want to dive in? Deep.

[C]

I mean, starting at the age of 14, I had my first company.

[B]

Oh, wow. Which was that?

[C]

Landscaping.

[B]

Landscaping.

[C]

And then it moved to creating very special events. What kind of renting, like, houses. I was in high school.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Yeah. So renting houses. Oh, the best ones. Renting, like, crazy houses, doing, like, crazy parties. But I didn't want the acknowledgement.

[B]

What year is this?

[C]

I was underage.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So what I did, I would bring cousins that were in age and pretend like it's their party, so they're the boss.

[B]

That's cool.

[C]

And I would just enjoy it with my friends.

[B]

Were you making money?

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

So you're just basically what, like a charging cover?

[C]

Charging a cover and making a little money on the drinks. A little money.

[B]

There any other party favors?

[C]

But that the first job, the first business gave me, I want to call it hunger. It's not really hunger. It's more of a drive.

[B]

Desire.

[C]

Yeah. To. I wanted to change things. Like, I wanted to do things better. Like, this is great. We can do something better than this.

[B]

I can relate with that.

[C]

And then it became a pursuit. I didn't know that culinary is in what I like veins and DNA until a little later. And then it became a main thing for me. I would watch my grandma, I would watch my aunts, my mom, my sisters. And I would be like, yo, this is amazing. And I would always put hands on. Moving on to business. I would run two kitchens. So from my business, I would go without, no one knows. And take a preposition somewhere.

[B]

Is this before you came to the States?

[C]

Way before.

[B]

Way before. So you were starting to fall in love with food. You wanted to learn. You were curious about how to cook different things.

[C]

I think I can make it into a business for me that works.

[B]

Why not?

[C]

I don't know, something in my head told me, like, you know, this is too much to turn into something profitable. So I'm like, okay, I'm gonna make money. Yeah, 100% I would make money. And I'm like, okay, in my free time, I would go and crush it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But I got payments that are internal, that are spiritual, that I can't even explain until one day I just got the switch completely and just got rid of everything and continued my journey by running. I started doing different residencies in different countries, going to places I'm not known to achieve the knowledge specifically around food, only food. It became such a big driver for me because I was holding back for all this time, and all of a sudden I'm like, okay, I can go loose.

[B]

Why were you holding back?

[C]

I think it was more mental, the fact that being a cook, you know, But I freaking loved it.

[B]

Was it like a pride thing? Like, people wouldn't take you seriously? It's not a real job.

[C]

It was family. It was business partners. It was the community that I was, you know, around me. It wasn't supported.

[B]

Was it pressure to be a doctor, lawyer, that kind of thing?

[C]

Definitely not a doctor lawyer material, but definitely a business owner that, you know, can produce you whatever. And I'm like, didn't really. I'm not happy. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Like, so is this all but after the military or before the military?

[C]

Before and after.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And is it then there's a break there in the. In my.

[B]

Is there, like a required service? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, like, it was your civic duty.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Got it. How long is that? Two years, Four years?

[C]

Three years.

[B]

Three years. So after committing your service. Yeah. In between before and immediately, I went, got it. Yeah. And you're just feeding the soul, feeding the curiosity.

[C]

100%.

[B]

I mean, is it worth getting into any lessons you learned as an entrepreneur, Things early on that really set you up for the success that you're having today? Like, what were some of the early, like, points of evolution? Like, unlocking next levels.

[C]

Listen to your heart. Find your desires and let it guide you. Don't doubt it. Make mistakes. Burn. Yeah, you'll learn. Yeah.

[B]

I think that's the subconscious mind. It's paying attention. There's that low road of consciousness that's there collecting data that your gut, you

[C]

know, you can't common sense.

[B]

You can't run a business on gut, but it can steer you. Yeah, for sure.

[C]

Gut is common sense for me.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So I work a lot with gut. Yeah. But I also work a lot on what makes Sense there's a bounce to the business, not to me.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So I'm loyal to my businesses, but the businesses have to provide you.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Not the other way.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So they need to create entities to work for. You got it.

[B]

Toy store. When did that happen?

[C]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Was that just a.

[C]

It was one of those businesses that I had to do to supply a demand. But it wasn't your irrelevant. Yeah, yeah, completely irrelevant times. Like, it gave me tools. I learned stuff from my. From mistakes and. And misjudgments that I made, but they mean nothing. Nothing anymore.

[B]

How old were you in 2016 when you. You got here?

[C]

2016. 20. 26, 40. 32.

[B]

11 years ago you said you were here.

[C]

32.

[B]

32. What brought you here? I mean, I'm skipping over.

[C]

No, no, you're good. The. The factor of being in a country that my. My arsenal of community and friends can be extremely versatile with no boundaries.

[B]

So you're looking to diversify your community 100%. Do you want to talk about why that was harder for you before?

[C]

I wanted to have options for my children that I didn't have, you know, in the sense of, like, just explore different things. And if they want to have their life back in Israel, then they can do it.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But if they want to have their life in the US Then they can do it.

[B]

So they can pursue different. Whatever calls to them.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you want to go more into that or not?

[C]

I mean, we can. You know, I can explain a little bit deeper, but I think it's. It can take out a.

[B]

There's a different cultural context. Right. So I think. I think it's good to understand different cultures and. Because, you know, I'm very sheltered.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I grew up in East Kingston, New Hampshire.

[C]

Yeah. But then. Then you went to Thailand for, like, six months.

[B]

I was like, in my. Like, I think I was my 30s still, you know, but I. Until I was like.

[C]

But you still did it. This is something that not a lot of people can do.

[B]

I think it's so important.

[C]

100. The experience of abroad gave me perspectives so much. Nobody else.

[B]

Was there a culture that you visited that was most impactful for you?

[C]

All of them?

[B]

How many? Like, just list the countries.

[C]

Spain, France, Thailand, Turkey, Greece. There's more. I'm just. I'm forgetting for sure all of them.

[B]

What stood out to me about Thailand is the sense of community.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I missed the markets the sweetest every night of the week. There was a street.

[C]

There was unbelievable.

[B]

And you just knew. The youth figured out, oh, like, you would know where to go and like, you would have, like, your cycle every night of the week. Yeah. Street food, freshness, local.

[C]

Those are the things that I, I, I pursue. Yeah, that's the, that's the chase here.

[B]

Yeah. So you wanted to pursue, you wanted freedom, autonomy, agency for your, for yourself and for your family, your future. And you thought America was the best place to do that.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely.

[B]

Is there no other place that provides that for you

[C]

in the sense of freedom? Not, not so much, not accurate word, but in the sense of. I wanted not to be known. You didn't want to be known.

[B]

You wanted to be.

[C]

I wanted to be a fly under the radar, a place that no one will know me.

[B]

Why was it.

[C]

It was important for me.

[B]

Did you come from a family where people knew who you were?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Was it like a prestigious family?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. I know nothing.

[C]

Yeah, I know.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So you wanted to earn it on your own?

[C]

More than that, I wanted to be me. No labels.

[B]

I mean, that's, I can only imagine. Like, I've never thought about that before. To, to. I don't even know what that kind of pressure is.

[C]

You know, it's super intense and it takes a lot to break from.

[B]

Yeah. Well, congratulations on breaking from it. So you, you come here to be you, to have an agency, autonomy, which is a very, I think it's something that, well, let me ask you, do you think Americans take that for granted?

[C]

American takes for granted because they're not experiencing anything else.

[B]

It's all we know. We've acclimated to it.

[C]

Yes. So what I do, I created a space where we're not just lifting, we also trying to create environments for young generations to go other places and encourage, go and experience other cultures.

[B]

So you're trying, part of what you're trying to do here is to create that environment. So is it because the culture that you bring to the table that people can come experience your food, your culture, or how does that look?

[C]

I think it's the way I perceive, you know, the journey more than the culture. It's how I, how I live.

[B]

So how are you elevating people? How are you creating pathways? Empowering? Okay, so it's more of, in the mind.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Of like, you come here, here's a culture, here's some perspective.

[C]

Go live, have fun with me. Learn what we do. Decide you want to travel the journey with me, and I will push you to go and be somewhere else too. Got it. Because it, for me, it's important to lift others because that's Our next generations. That's who's going to inspire the next. So it's always something on my radar.

[B]

Yeah. I love the idea of elevating people, and I think you got to elevate yourself first. Right. And it's clear that you did that by achieving your. Your agency, your freedom to pursue, I guess, to be a. An agent, a soul acting individual. Right. Not under the umbrella.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Of, you know, I guess, the hierarchy.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, So I think that's super, super admirable, man.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

So, I mean, I can't even relate to that. Like, I'm. I'm like, I'm thinking, like, do I push away, ask questions here? I think you gave us enough. I think we got the idea. So you come here. Was the goal when you got here to go to cook? Was that why you. What you want to do?

[C]

The goal was to pronounce? I wanted. I wanted to cook, but I wanted to cook in the way I am here today. For me, it's a elaborate.

[B]

What do you mean by pronounce?

[C]

I wanted it to be personal, like, in a way that if you're in my restaurant, if I'm not there, you still getting a hug from me.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Makes sense.

[B]

Yeah. Like, this is a slice of you. Not just you being here, but this space is your space. It's your energy.

[C]

I love cooking, and I will always be behind the line. I love what I do. But with that said, we also, like, have to be. It's not that I need to let go and put my sous chef in charge. My sous chef let me go so I can do another one, and they are in charge. Got it. But they are me.

[B]

Yeah. Because they have your culture.

[C]

They're like a part of me, but better.

[B]

I like to say that it's our job to recreate ourselves and others 100%. Right. So, like, we lift people up, we give them our values. That's the whole reason why we write our values down, so we know how to act. Right. We give them skills, we give them ability. We give them agency within the space to make decisions. And we're lifting them up. We're pulling them up. Right. And then when. As you pull people up, that creates freedom for you to go pursue other things.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Before we get deeper into that, you took a path when you got here. You didn't just get straight into it. Like, when you came here, was. Was this always the vision?

[C]

This was my vision. Without knowing it's my vision.

[B]

Got it. So you still. You're 20, 34 years old. Yeah.

[C]

When I got 2016.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

31.

[B]

31 years old, you didn't come here and get straight into opening things. You went and you worked for other people first. Right.

[C]

So I started in different places, and I actually did a real estate license. Okay, cool.

[B]

What? Big part of the restaurant industry.

[C]

So here's where my business mind came into place. I wanted to learn the business language. I wanted to learn it in a way that I can understand a contract if I'm reading one.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So I taught myself how to read a contract or to read a lease contract, because I knew that that's going to come.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Now, the language was a bit of a problem at the beginning, but. The core was there. So what I did, I started staging in different places. When I started staging in different places, it became such a. An amazing journey because I met all the amazing chefs that still homies, and we got connected on, you know, different levels.

[B]

I saw that you staged that Was it Eco Echo. Yeah, Echo.

[C]

Sorry.

[B]

Eko Wrecking bar. Yep. And then I think 2016-18, you started your own catering. Let's eat.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So a little side hustle.

[C]

Still going?

[B]

Yeah, still going. I was curious about that. And then in 2019, you did Rosen Bakehouse.

[C]

Rosina.

[B]

Rosina, thank you very much.

[C]

Named after my late grandma.

[B]

Rosina Bakehouse and coffee. I am not surprised. The coffee is delicious. And then you were the executive chef at Nor. Nor.

[C]

We. I owned it.

[B]

You owned it.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Got it. So we chef partner or sole chef

[C]

partner that we decided to split.

[B]

Okay, so what was that? I mean, you were stylishing in restaurants before this point, so this isn't, like, new to you. You didn't come to America and start cooking. Yes. You were just trying to pay the bills. Is that what was going on? Maybe trying to try to work at different places you admire here?

[C]

Yeah, no, it was to. To. I wanted to meet. I wanted to meet a lot of different communal people, and I wanted to know who will be my friends.

[B]

So how did you decide on Echo?

[C]

I googled the best restaurants and that came up.

[B]

I had Robbie on the show two days ago. Yeah, it was yesterday.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

He was amazing.

[C]

Love, Robbie.

[B]

What did you learn about working in that organization?

[C]

I. I learned the American culture of going into corporate kind of deal to tell you that it's my thing. No, it's not. But Ryan Whitten and Michael Patria, still good friends of mine. Isaac Silverman. Yeah. Still good friends of mine. Like, we. I made friendships there.

[B]

You made.

[C]

You settled Roots that are mind blowing. More than that, one of the kids that was helping me doing a special, we did like a cure anchovy thing. I taught them how to make fresh anchovy named Noah Myers has been with me, gave me nine years. Since he's 14 years old. And now is my pride and you know, Blessing. This kid, 24 years old, owns his bakery in Villarica outside Bloom. Go check him out.

[B]

Yeah, I mean that's elevating somebody, right?

[C]

Un freaking believable.

[B]

Where is this?

[C]

In Villaria?

[B]

Is that.

[C]

Is that suburb of Douglasville area?

[B]

How far is that from here?

[C]

Like an hour? I don't know.

[B]

Okay. Cuz if it's north, I might have to stop.

[C]

You got to go.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Cuz this kid been through every business I've done here. That's cool. And I remember the phone call I made to his mom asking for permission for him to come on board. And we met personal and I wanted to explain to her, hey, you know, this is, this is my wife Karen. I want you to understand that we are family people and we, we wanna. He's talented and I want him, I want him around, I want to groom that. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

That's so cool. So you're. You, you came. The whole idea was to establish a network to, to make friends, to settle roots, to. And that's, that's so important, I think. Yeah. When you go to a new space and if you try to open a restaurant out of the gates and you don't have that network, it's so much harder.

[C]

You make it.

[B]

You have to make it. That's it. So you did that from 2016 to basically 2021, which is when you became a partner.

[C]

On and off, on and off.

[B]

But you also had your own side hustle. You had your own business with the let's eat candy.

[C]

So let's see, it was busy. And then Rosina also was my bakery. So once Rosina was full time, then I couldn't do anything anymore. Got it.

[B]

So this is where it kind of gets awkward sometimes because I like to talk about money. Like how did you get the money to come?

[C]

Investors.

[B]

Investors. So I mean, were you. Did you cut all ties from.

[C]

Didn't work.

[B]

Didn't work.

[C]

That's it.

[B]

What do you mean didn't work? Didn't work between us, the investors.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So you, how did you get the money to do this?

[C]

So the biggest thing that I think that's missing in our community, that chefs have to learn business.

[B]

When you say community, do you mean restaurant? Community.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Got it. 100%.

[C]

So when a chef. When a young chef is growing to become an amazing chef, and they want to own their own business, they have to learn business.

[B]

I mean, this one thing I think this country is guilty of is not creating entrepreneurs, but creating workers. That's the whole model of the school system.

[C]

That's why Noah is different. 24 years old, and he owns his cafe. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I had this conversation earlier today with Ryan Turner, and I think at first there was a miscommunication. I said, I think that we don't need more jobs and more careers. We need more owners.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And he was like, no, but he thought that I was saying, we need more restaurants.

[C]

No. I was like, no, we need business owners.

[B]

Right. If you want somebody to show up and treat it like they own it, you can't expect them to unless they own it. Right. And that's a very controversial thing to say, because people think there's not enough profit. There's not enough, you know, there's not enough money to go around.

[C]

That's not true, though.

[B]

I don't disagree.

[C]

Because if you come to work on a level that you own it. Yeah. And you're not getting the recognition you're supposed to, but it needs to come natural. Like, you're not working for a real leader. Where are you?

[B]

Right. Why do you think some people resist that idea? Or afraid of that fear? Fear of what?

[C]

Of. Of, like, oh, I'm gonna lose this. I'm gonna lose the business. He's gonna go and open whatever.

[B]

He's gonna take everything I taught.

[C]

No, give it right. We're here to give away our recipes. We're here to give away our talents. Like, I love teaching. I love giving it away. You know, like, I put it in books. I put it in interviews. I don't care. We're not. Nothing is close to the chest except my personal stuff.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But I think more needs to be shared.

[B]

Right. So you said. We started here by saying there's a problem where we don't. We don't know enough about business.

[C]

We don't teach enough of business. The path of entrepreneurship has to be paved. Yeah. Like when a young chef takes a. A leap and create the popup that tells you that they have the entrepreneur, the bug aspect. It's there.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You got to look at it, and you got to say, you know what? You're ready. Maybe you're not ready. You're not ready. Here's why. Here's what needs to be done. Here's what you need to achieve, get goals, get inspired, get into around people that are doing the work. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. 100. I mean everything you're saying, I 100% support. So your strategy getting here was to grow your network, to get foundation, to meet people. Your side hustling you, you get into. Say the name of this right at the bakery again. I think I wrote it down.

[C]

Rosina.

[B]

Rosina. R O Z I N A.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Rosina Bakehouse and Coffee. You are a business person, so you have business acumen at this point. So you're. Are you out selling your vision or. Or were you recruited as a chef partner?

[C]

How did that play out for Rosina? Yeah, from my catering. Got recruiting, cooked for someone. Wanted to invest. Invested. We joined business.

[B]

Treat every customer like they're a future investor.

[C]

100 yeah. Treat everyone like it's family because everyone should be treated.

[B]

So why was that only a two year or one year thing?

[C]

From two years between us?

[B]

Any lessons from that that you are holding too many. Too many.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Without giving away too much information or, you know, it's not about smearing names and anything like that, but what, what can you share that you wish you had?

[C]

You can be kind, but you can also be stern and hold to your yourself. Decisions that needs to be make, made, they have to be made in a very clean vibe.

[B]

Right. How do you, how do you set yourself up to make those decisions?

[C]

Every decision I make nowadays, never I put myself in a place that I am in distress or hyped.

[B]

Say that one more time.

[C]

I want to make sure every decision that I, that I'm making that I need to make, I don't put myself in a place in a mindset that I am hyped. Got it. So I'm in distress.

[B]

You don't make emotional decisions.

[C]

None.

[B]

So you remove emotion from.

[C]

If it makes sense. If I'm calm and I'm stable and it makes sense, I will do it.

[B]

Were you emotional in this partnership?

[C]

100.

[B]

Yeah. What was emotional like?

[C]

What was the source for his brick and mortar?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Was it fear in the U.S. yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It was the insecurity because it was a big operation.

[B]

How Many, how big?

[C]

3, 500 square feet of seating.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Wow. And it was a coffee shop outside of Georgia State. A lot of pressure. Yeah. Full bakery. Yeah. And a lunch menu and a breakfast menu. Like it took me two months to hone down the coffee. Yeah. Like

[B]

a lot.

[C]

Yeah. But also because I love and enjoy doing everything myself. Like, I like things in house. So we would Cure it. It was just so much.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So much. Yeah.

[B]

Did you learn anything from that? To maybe focus on one thing.

[C]

I became a better baker.

[B]

Yeah. 100 any other lessons from this experience?

[C]

Be a better husband. No business will ever come between me and my wife and my family anymore.

[B]

Are you a better husband today?

[C]

100 how.

[B]

How have your habits more attention? What do you do to be more intention?

[C]

I'm present. How do you feel home? You can call 20 million times. My phone won't be even on me.

[B]

Well, I mean look at your. Your business model today too.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It provides balance.

[C]

Because I switched it. I switched to the business is working for me. I don't work for my business.

[B]

Yeah. It's supposed to be an asset. The whole point of having a business is that it serves you the freedom. Yep. Yeah. Where did you learn this? Was this stuff that you had known but you forgot?

[C]

Yeah. It came from. From lessons.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

With your next venture. What's that?

[C]

Ventures.

[B]

Ventures. But the next thing on the timeline that I see in 2021. Neur executive chef partner. Did you. Did you approach this differently or had you not yet learned your lesson?

[C]

Ask it again.

[B]

So the next thing I see on your timeline, after the Rosina, you had

[C]

NER now we're talking Covid era.

[B]

Oh, that's right. I always forget about COVID So middle of COVID Yeah.

[C]

We jumped into a consultation. It what started as a consultation gig became a partnership.

[B]

And what kind of food was this?

[C]

Fast, casual. Mediterranean, Middle Eastern. Eastern. But most of the food came from a brick oven.

[B]

Got it.

[C]

So I would cook. I want to say 75 of the menu came out from like a screeching brick oven.

[B]

That sounds amazing.

[C]

Yeah, it was awesome.

[B]

And was it the pandemic that made it not? Did you. Is it still going today or did you just exit?

[C]

No, I. I exited. Out. And unfortunately they had to shut down.

[B]

Okay. Any lessons from this experience?

[C]

Again, the choices of emotions.

[B]

Yeah. What changed in you in the. The last five, four years?

[C]

I think the trust. I trust. But I don't give control where I used to give control. Too much, actually. All of it.

[B]

Have you ever heard the expression trust and track?

[C]

No. Please tell me.

[B]

So it's this idea of extending trust but having systems in place.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

To track. Using numbers.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So P. Ls and having systems that. To make sure that you're getting a scoreboard or a scorecard. Right. And when the numbers are out of whack, that's when you. You're tracking the numbers.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And that brings attention to issues. And then you go to the person responsible and you say, hey, look at the numbers.

[C]

Why is the numbers.

[B]

Let's look at this. Right.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So you trust.

[C]

But. But. And I'll address this. Why you're talking data. I talk emotions.

[B]

Right.

[C]

I get emotional when I get green garlic from my farm. It's the season. Yeah. You have to be excited about it. Yeah. If I would look at data. It won't make sense to plant carrots the way we do, but the result does, because in the end, it makes sense.

[B]

Yeah. There's this balance.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, Pareto spins. Is it pretty. Not Prado is. What's. Is that the 8020 rule?

[C]

Is that the same 80 20? Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So 8020 rule. I think that that rule, that split shows up everywhere.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think that that split. I think everything has an opposite. Right. Chaos, order. Yeah. And I think in America in there was a period like 80s, into the 90s, into the early 2000s, that America was so corporate.

[C]

Right.

[B]

It was like everything is about control. Control control systems, processes, procedures. And we kind of went way too far in that direction, and we lacked chaos.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And I think what is chaos? It is humans. Human people are chaotic.

[C]

Our minds.

[B]

Yeah. Creativity is chaos. And culture can be chaos. Right. Just people in general are the unpredictable. So I think that there is a balance. I think that in order for things to move smoothly in the masses, in like a city or a country, like, you need government, you need systems, processes. You need 80% of some control and 20 of chaos.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And I think that some. Most people love control. They love knowing the rules.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And that makes them feel safe and secure. Entrepreneurs.

[C]

Well, there is chaos. Yeah.

[B]

They don't like. I'm just like you. My whole life is living in a truck, camper driving around. I don't know who I'm talking to next week, you know, but I. I trust the process.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

I trust that I'm not an. And I'm doing something that people admire and that. That will open up doors. But I just go. And it happens. That's chaos.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

But that's also what makes this show special.

[C]

Isn't it exciting?

[B]

It's so exciting.

[C]

So we should be excited from chaos. Children are chaos.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Exciting, curious, but chaos. Yeah. Yeah. Restaurants, completely chaotic. Exciting for the guests. Exciting if you control, if you know how to hone down that chaos.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So I think I agree with the. With the term, but I do think that we have more chaos than 20%.

[B]

So that. Here's. I was Gonna follow up with that. I think when you're small, if you're a single unit operation and it's based off of creativity and chaos, you don't know what's gonna come through that door for produce.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Until that day. Then it switches. It's 80% chaos, 20% order. But it only works small scale excitement. Yeah. And I think that you can have a big bang and you can have

[A]

so much attention, so much, because there's

[B]

so much culture and energy and vibrance.

[A]

And people love chaos because it's fun.

[B]

Right. And it's exciting and it. And. But the challenge with that is you can't scale it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But you found a way to make it profitable.

[C]

Yes. To copy it, though, is passion.

[B]

To copy it is passion. What do you mean by that?

[C]

In order to recreate this, you got to live the way we live.

[B]

How do you live in chaos? I mean, I totally relate with that. Yeah.

[C]

We met on Saturday. We talked on, I believe, Monday. Monday, yeah. You emailed the calendar. We're here today.

[B]

Maybe it was Sunday. I can't remember when we talked about, like, we made it happen. And I've also found that the people in the restaurant industry show up for the people that show up at their front door.

[C]

Always.

[B]

I could email you, but walking into your. Your space with somebody that you respect and admire, Ryan Turner and Ryan saying, Eric, meet. Shy 100.

[C]

Like Ryan say meet. I say, yes, sir.

[B]

Yeah. And like that makes shit happen because

[C]

you get introduced, right. It's. It's credits past. So if I make an introduction, even via text message with someone, credits passed. So immediately it's like, okay, what. How can we help? What do you need? Like, immediately there is a team.

[B]

Right. So one of the things that immediately, you know, for example, you, you said this space is you earlier, Right.

[C]

It's a limb.

[B]

It's a limb. What's an extension of who you are? The energy, the decoration. Like everything is an extension of your mind. Yes. In this space. The challenge with that, say five years from now, ten years from now, you're like, I've had enough. I want to try something different. And you become dependent on the revenue from this. And you, you come. It's so. Because it's you. Yeah. Is it the same if you're not here?

[C]

So I, I didn't. It's not created in that way. And that's my point. We can take two weeks off and shut it down.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And it won't change.

[B]

You can find that.

[C]

Yeah, it won't change.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like it won't change anything. In the end of the day, if it's me, if it's the crew, we're all humans. Everyone has needs, everyone has wants. Everyone wants to chill. Everyone wants to hang out. Everyone wants to have fun. Everyone wants to crush it. Everyone wants to be successful. The question is, is your frequency in tune with me, with us, with the culture? If you are, we sail together. If we sell together in a point that it's, like, so connected, you eventually gonna make me want to do another one.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

For you, with you or without you. And you stay put.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But something has to evolve. We constantly gotta grow.

[B]

Do you think part of what makes this successful is the fact that you are a minority with a minority culture that is different from what people are used to?

[C]

I think it's my method of understanding moments. I appreciate time in a different way. I use time as currency because I choose to give time and I don't waste it. I gift it.

[B]

Intentionality.

[C]

Yes, 100%. So I'm very, very intentional with my time. Because if I'm not in this place or in that place or in. In the farm, then I'm home.

[B]

Right.

[C]

I'm with my babies. So there's, like, time aspect, I think that is.

[B]

I don't want to underscore that or undermine that. I think that is super important. I guess what I'm curious about, like, I'm an Italian Irish dude, right. If I did this and I was trying to do spaghetti and meatballs.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you think that I would be able to sell out four months in advance? And you know what I'm saying? Like, if.

[C]

If you. So you just simplified something super chaotic into a very comfortable seat.

[B]

If I was trying to do, like, American, Italian, check me out.

[C]

Italian, Irish tasting menu.

[B]

So now you're more interested corned beef meatballs.

[C]

Go. No. Where are we gonna go with this? That's what's exciting.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The fact that there is an aspect of curiosity. Now we're. Now you got somebody intrigued.

[B]

Well, I think that because you're leaning into who you are. Holy right. You are the. The most genuine version, authentic version of yourself in this space. Is that safe to say?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And I think that because your culture, your experiences bring something that isn't easy to find in this market.

[C]

A little weird.

[B]

Does that help you, do you think? Because you're leaning into. There's juxtaposition.

[C]

I think so, yeah.

[B]

So owning that uniqueness of who you are, not shying away from your culture, your value.

[C]

Yeah. There's no. There's no hiding from it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's also I think the factor of you can you. You don't have to choose nothing. You already made your choices before you even came here.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And all you're here is to enjoy yourself.

[B]

You said something that I don't want to just roll that. Roll off. The intentionality with time and being very intentional.

[C]

The timing present when you go out. Right. You go to eat somewhere. You go to dine somewhere. Why do you do that? Why would anyone would do it?

[B]

When I go out if I'm home.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I always go to the same place.

[C]

Cool. Why?

[B]

Why? Because I like knowing that bartender. I like.

[C]

No. Why do you go out?

[B]

Why do I go out? Because I love being around people.

[C]

And

[B]

sincerely, I just love you.

[C]

Enjoy yourself.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I mean, you're going to have a good time.

[B]

I want to get out. I want to be around people. I want to socialize. 100. I love that.

[C]

That bartender that knows you, knows your vibe.

[B]

I think so.

[C]

Cool. Knows your drinks. Yeah. Knows your snacks.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

You don't make choices.

[B]

I feel seen you. You valued, appreciated.

[C]

It's happening around you. Yeah. When you come here, you place the reservation through a form I created that I get to know you a little bit better. You give me a little bit of information that is enough for me to know who's coming in. Yeah.

[B]

So you see that's coming on a bartender. Yeah.

[C]

That day.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

Without knowing you.

[B]

Do you. Do you keep a journal?

[C]

No, I don't need to journalize. I remember who's here and I remember when they come back.

[B]

And that's how it's supposed to be.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And this is how it is in Europe. Most places like you have your. Your neighborhood wine bar, you know, and that's where you go.

[C]

Yeah. Because it's. It makes sense.

[B]

And it's not just.

[C]

It's personal.

[B]

Yeah. It's not just the servers and the bartenders and the owner that you know, it's the other regulars.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

It's your community.

[C]

So you choose to spend your time in a timely manner.

[B]

Yeah. Because you've been seen you almost like a third space.

[C]

Yeah. Home away from home. Yeah.

[B]

And it's. I echo this way too often. My poor listeners are like, here he goes again. But one thing I like to point out is when. When we're colonizing the Americas, in order to start a town, you needed to first create a public house. And that public house was the spoke. The center of that town. It's where you got your news. It's where you got your entertainment. It's where you got your food. It's where you got your socialization. It's where you got your mail. It was literally the Internet. Yeah. Of that time. It was where you got everything, everyone there.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And you needed that central space to be a town. And that over time, evolved into pubs. Right. And we just somehow got away from that where, you know, it's just. It's that third space. It's not the thing you do for a living. It's not your home. It's where you go to be with people. And we're missing that so bad today.

[C]

I think it's the factor of not socializing, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I think too many people don't want to be around people. And I understand we can have differences, but we can also discuss.

[B]

And that's what this. The space is for. And back when we had the public houses, that's where you did your politics.

[C]

That's it.

[B]

Revolution started in bars. Literally. I don't know, like, you know, the American Revolution. The Tea Party.

[A]

Boston.

[B]

Boston.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Though I think it's the Green Dragon.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. Like, it was. Bar owners were literally, like. They were like mayors.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

Because they started the town, they owned the bar, and like, they were. They would influence. All they did was talk politics in Mars. And they, like, created revolutions.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

You know, and I think we should encourage people to talk politics. I think you should get politicians that

[C]

come in, engagement speak.

[B]

But get a Republican and get a Democrat, get a, you know, a moderate.

[C]

Everybody gotta eat, share all the perspectives.

[B]

Listen.

[C]

So the whole idea of, you know, having a hard conversation, there's no problem with it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But you gotta have the ability to listen as well. Be respectful and share a meal.

[B]

Yeah. It's amazing what food brings. Bring people to the fire and food,

[C]

you know, from the moment they walk in to the moment they go out. Not all the time. They agree on. On sides, but they have a mutual ground.

[B]

Their eyes might have opened a little 100.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

But you have to understand first in order to empathize. You have to first seek to understand before you're understood.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So we kind of skipped over the. How did this space all come into fruition? We didn't really talk about how this opportunity came to you. We skipped over that.

[C]

The opportunity came when I was overseas in the process of continuing my journey after the Beaufort highway adventure. Came as a phone call closed the deal on a phone call me and my wife both agreed on. It immediately. Came from the vacation, sealed the deal. I remember me sitting in the end of the restaurant and just envisioning. And then my talented, amazing wife Karen came and she's like, I got it. And she saw the whole thing and she just made it fit my mad head.

[B]

What was this before you took over?

[C]

It was like a corporate slash company culinary teaching facility.

[B]

So it was turnkey. Everything was here?

[C]

No, no, no.

[B]

What was here?

[C]

Some of this stuff. Some of the equipment was here.

[B]

So yeah, we had somebody crawling behind the cameras. So what did you have? The stove, the range, any of that stuff?

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Okay. But the commercial kitchen element was. We.

[C]

Yeah, we did the design, we kind of brought the vibe. Dish pit came in.

[B]

So more or less turnkey.

[C]

Made it. Yeah.

[B]

You want to say you made it your own. Yeah, but all the, you know, the, the core elements of a kitchen were here.

[C]

It had the guts.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So how much? I'm assuming it was pretty low overhead to get started.

[C]

No, no, we're. Look around.

[B]

Well, yeah, I mean, it's beautiful space, don't get me wrong. But did it. Was it like this on day one?

[C]

No.

[B]

So you could get open and then you constantly.

[C]

I. So what we did, I gave two weeks prior that we finished everything.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And slowly we. We brought new things and switched old things.

[B]

Under 500,000 to get open?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Under 200,000 to get open?

[C]

No.

[B]

Even 250,000. 300,000 is pretty good. Yeah. In today's standards.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Really good.

[C]

100.

[B]

So I would say that's in the terms of turnkey, like closer to turnkey than like a one million dollar build out.

[C]

Right.

[B]

So with your experience, your background, you could probably get a loan for a couple hundred thousand dollars. Right. So I think I'm just trying to point out that like not impossible, but you're kind of like someone's exit strategy business.

[C]

What's that business?

[B]

Did you say not impossible?

[C]

They have to know business. Anyone that wants to open any restaurant, any concept, they have to understand the, the perspective of money. That's. That's my, that was my, my whole thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

The fact that I know and it doesn't influence me. It's. For me, it's a water into sink. We have water.

[B]

Cool. So you were back in Israel and then this opportunity came to you while you're overseas?

[C]

Yeah, we went visiting.

[B]

Okay. And then did somebody reach out to you and say, hey, I'm looking to get out of this space. Are you interested?

[C]

Y.

[B]

And did you take over a lease or something like that?

[C]

We turned the lease to us.

[B]

Got it. And

[C]

did you Have a real estate license sense.

[B]

Really. It's very powerful. And the cool thing, too, with AI today, like, you can throw an agreement copy and paste it right in. It's like, is this a good agreement?

[C]

Unbelievable.

[B]

And it'll be like, you should be concerned about these things.

[C]

Here's your notes. Yeah, it's having a lawyer on retainer.

[B]

I do that with sponsorship today. I probably shouldn't say this out loud, but I'll get like a.

[C]

No. Nobody gonna know. We're gonna cut it.

[B]

Yeah. And I'm just like, you know, like in. Like you don't know. When you get lawyers involved, like, they use language and they're always going to be in favor of their client. That's their job.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Right. So just throwing it in there and just being like, is there anything about this agreement that I should be aware of or worried about?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Is this even.

[C]

It's so funny that, like, nowadays you don't need to know. You have an intelligent. That knows for you. Right where I know.

[B]

Right.

[C]

So I will do the initial, but then I will double check.

[B]

Right. It will bring the things to your

[C]

attention faster and still send it to my lawyer.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

Okay. What do you think?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

What about. What do you think about my notes?

[B]

Pretty tight.

[C]

Not your notes immediately.

[B]

They know if there's that double hyphen.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I guess what I'm curious about, did you know that this. When you. The vision for what you created here, was that in your head before? Before the space, or did the space come then? The vision.

[C]

The vision came with the space.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So when I saw the space, I started envisioning, and that happened with every restaurant I've ever had.

[B]

In this model, I've seen the space

[C]

and it made sense.

[B]

This model, this started in 2022. So you're four years in.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Did it evolve over time in terms of the, like, the. The like. How did you grow it? Were you selling out? Out of the gates?

[C]

No, it took us like a few months.

[B]

Few months. And how did you create awareness? You had a marketing background.

[C]

Just people that started, like, resonating with what we do. Word of mouth, social media became stronger and stronger on our weekly basis. I think the fact that we're very personal is key.

[B]

What's your handle on Instagram?

[C]

Which one?

[B]

Third space.

[C]

The third space. Atlanta, I want to say. Am I right?

[B]

Is that the handle that you inherited or did you create?

[C]

No, I created it.

[B]

It was. It wasn't called the third space when you.

[C]

It was.

[B]

It was. So it was called the Third space. And you maintained that brand. What was your. Your thought behind that?

[C]

It made sense. It made perfect sense to what I am and who I am and how people see me, too.

[B]

Meant to be.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm trying to find Asha Gomez.

[C]

No.

[B]

Yeah. Is that you?

[C]

No, no.

[B]

It's gonna be. Careful. I don't want my stuff to unplug. So I typed in the third space. Atl Is this you?

[C]

That's us.

[B]

All right.

[C]

I can.

[B]

Got you the cooks Collective.

[C]

Org.

[B]

The third space. Atlanta. Oh, spelled out. That's why. So you use social media to get the word out. Was there a strategy? And this is in 2022. Has the strategy changed at all?

[C]

Not really. We're still in the same. I see.

[B]

You know far as Cargar.

[C]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[B]

I love Fars. I had him on the show as well.

[C]

Good dude, man.

[B]

So I guess, like, how long did it take for things to build up? Like, how long did it take for you to sell out?

[C]

So we had a following before because

[B]

of the work you were doing.

[C]

And prior to that, you have to understand that my catering company was the first company that we did, and it still goes until today.

[B]

Got it.

[C]

So we. We've been busy. Like, we had shutdowns through Covid in our neighborhood because we had too many people coming to purchase food.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[C]

Yeah. It turned to parties.

[B]

I'm here looking at your Instagram, and I see that you have proudly partnered with Halls.

[C]

Halstein.

[B]

Halstein. Water.

[C]

Unbelievable. Water.

[B]

Is that like a sponsorship?

[C]

Yeah. Okay, so we have a few sponsors that.

[B]

How does that work? How do you get sponsors for.

[C]

They come to you. They want to do stuff to.

[B]

Together, collaborations.

[C]

We're. We're running with it.

[B]

What advice do you have for getting into sponsorships and how to stretch?

[C]

Be good at what you do and then choose wisely because it has to align.

[B]

How do you choose your sponsors?

[C]

They choose me. And then I say, okay, yay or nay?

[B]

I noticed another one of your sponsors was Tapachico. Did I say that right? Tapa Chico.

[C]

Who doesn't like topachos?

[B]

Oh, that's on. And if you're watching the video, I was holding up a bottle. I want.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Product placement. I see what you did there. I thought you're just being hospitable.

[C]

Delicious. Delicious candle.

[B]

I'm joking. So. And then you have.

[C]

What's it?

[B]

Big green egg in Atlanta Harvest.

[C]

Atlanta harvest is the farmer that got very proud of.

[B]

So I mean, there's different ways you're really diversifying your revenue. It's not Just the events. You're doing catering too?

[C]

Yeah. And we do off sites a lot.

[B]

Yep. That's like what, what is the future? Like what? Like as an entrepreneur you have this thing, it's special. You're diversifying your portfolio with special events, ticketed events, catering. What else can you do with this?

[C]

I don't know, man. We're going to have to wait and see.

[B]

Do you. Have you heard this thought or this that you know, we're going into the experience or. Sorry, we're in the experience economy. Economy. Exiting to the transformation economy.

[C]

No.

[B]

So I think, I think you're so primly set up for the experience economy, especially because you have this culture that you're sharing with people. Like you could do tours where you go to all the places that you went in stage or where you got your inspiration and do like food tours. Right. Because you have this following. You could go do like an Israeli, like a trip to Israel 100% and like sell tickets for 5, 6,000, $10,000. Right. I see that being a total like when you think about the future and the things you want to do, what kind of stuff gets you excited?

[C]

As I grow on the personal, on the business aspect, I also grow how we give and how we support. And I wish that, you know, I'll be able to grow more so I can and support and give more.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's my biggest achievements in business wise doing food tours. I'm not against it. That's actually a pretty cool idea. Pretty neat something to think.

[B]

I know some people who do it. If you ever want to pursue that.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It sounds pretty, pretty badass. And I gotta be honest, I know some pretty amazing places. I bet.

[B]

And because you have the following in the. You're basically just taking this experience of your wall on the road. You know, I also think when I think of transformation economy, I think that because of the world we live in today, the world's on fire. Yeah. You know, and I think part of the issue is we just don't understand different perspectives, different cultures where this tribe mentality, you know. Um, and I think because of your ex experience, you can help people transform. So the idea of the transformation economy is taking people from point A to point B. Yeah. And I think that a lot of the transformation in the future is going to be consciousness. Like people more aware, they want to get happier, healthier and wealthier. Right. Those are the three ways that you transform happier, healthier, wealthier. Big part of happier is understanding better.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Right. In, in trying to empathize trying to figure out how the world works. And I think because you're close to that part of the world, you can open, shed light, help people transform. I mean, I'm just spitballing right here, but when I say things like that, like, I don't know, is that a stretch?

[C]

It's not a stretch because I also have a meal plan program that we do which is very intentional. So it's also customized.

[B]

So tell me what the intentionality is behind this movie. This would be an example of transformation.

[C]

Yeah. So we, I have an interview with my guests and I actually need to know them better. And we don't just take out bad habits, we replace them with better.

[B]

So you're, you're doing the, the healthier, which would also be what it needs to be.

[C]

Yeah. So like real meat, real fermented food, customized fermented food. You know, if you have a condition, then what's the condition? If you're an athlete, then we support that. Like everything is customized to that tea. That is a big, big transformation.

[A]

This episode is made possible by US Foods. It takes more than great food to run a kitchen these days with US Foods more than means consistently high quality products, industry leading tools, inflexible deliveries that let you grow your business on your schedule. Whatever your goals, US Foods helps you turn them into reality. As a US Foods customer, you'll gain access to their industry leading moxi platform which doesn't just make it easy to place your US Foods order, but it uses AI powered technology to help you take more control of your business and increase profitability. You can also explore the latest issues of Food Fanatics magazine from US Foods. In each issue you'll find real world success stories, bold culinary inspiration and practical profit boosting ideas you can put to work immediately. Visit usfoods.com expectmore to learn how to become a US Foods customer again. That's usfoods.com expect this episode is brought to you by Restaurant Technologies, the leader in automated cooking oil management. Unstoppable restaurant owners know which services to keep in house and which services to outsource. And oil management is one of those things you should outsource. Their total oil management solution is an end to end closed loop automated system that delivers, monitors, filters, collects and recycles your cooking oil, eliminating one of the dirtiest jobs in the kitchen. Create a more efficient food service operation and ensure consistent food quality with a safer, smarter and sustainable cooking oil solution. Restaurant technology services over 45,000 customers nationwide, including countless past guests on the show. Automate your Oil and elevate your kitchen by visiting RTI hyphen inc.com or call 888-779-5314 to get started.

[B]

Joe Pine, the Transformation Economy. I highly recommend that book if you're doing this because it will probably like, there's. I'm sure there's going to be a nugget in there for you, how to set it up. I'm sure you're doing a great job, don't get me wrong, but I'm getting Joe on the show and I recently. I had him on the show like three or four years ago about to cover the Experience Economy. His previous book.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And his new book just came out this past. I think it dropped in January.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So it's fresh off the press.

[C]

It's done.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I need. I need notes, man. Yeah.

[B]

So how do you. How do you structure that? Like, what is like. Is it like. Are you delivering them? Are they picking it up?

[C]

They get a full service.

[B]

Full service, yeah. So you bring it to their home.

[C]

So he goes to their home for five days. Stacked notes, what to take. When? Weekly?

[B]

Monthly?

[C]

Weekly.

[B]

What about invoicing? Is it monthly? Annual, Monthly? Monthly. How many of those do you have going right now?

[C]

Nine. Nine.

[B]

Is this new?

[C]

Past two years.

[B]

Past two years. Okay. Is it like what. What is the potential there in terms of how do you know what the chart.

[C]

I'm sure nuts.

[B]

I mean, I'm sure you don't want to say, but I know it can be if it's. If it's a unique flavor, if it's an. If you.

[C]

Oh, it's unique.

[B]

Right.

[C]

It's special.

[B]

And if it's health focused for you. Right.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

There's a ton here like you. Really? I think what excites me the most about today's conversation with you is that we're shattering norms. And I think that there's. In the new economy, there's so many things, especially the transformation economy. Think creatively. Be a solution.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, people want to get better in the future and if you can help people do that, there's so much opportunity there. Yes. I can't believe we're already an hour and 15 minutes into this conversation, but anything we haven't discussed up to this point that you were hoping we would discuss or I should pick your brain

[C]

on, I think we covered pretty large sum. Yeah. The one thing we didn't touch is my latest solution is the Spoon, which is a non profit we established the past year. Our main work is veteran moms and veteran Moms to be with whatever help they need. Plus we have some families that we support nourishment. Okay.

[B]

So get. So why, why this demographic? Why are you serving veteran moms to be in veteran moms?

[C]

It's just something that came that needed help and me being a solution is not. I don't, I don't really choose yeti or nay. Yeah. For me it's like you need help, we'll be there.

[B]

Give me an example of the, the reasons why this.

[C]

A loss of individual. That was everything. And now you have your, you know, your spouse, your baby, and you don't really know what to do. Right. You lose support, you lose the ground. Yeah. So we, we will do our best to try and help with any resources we have.

[B]

And how are you raising money to support these people?

[C]

It was out of pocket.

[B]

So percentage of profit.

[C]

Yeah. So whatever we make, we allocate.

[B]

Are you learning anything from Giving Kitchen in terms of.

[C]

I mean Giving Kitchen was an amazing. Still an amazing organization and incredible something to look at.

[B]

Is that how you and Ryan?

[C]

I met Ryan. No, I met Ryan, yeah. Actually he bought an auction that I gave. But Giving Kitchen gave me all the

[B]

inspiration to become something bigger and I really do. Again, the mission statement is to change the world through inspiring, empowering and transforming the industry. If that is an example of how this, this, this industry can change the world.

[C]

Oh, 100.

[B]

What you're doing to lift up young

[C]

people, everything is being around food and nourishment. Yeah.

[B]

I think we forget our relationship with food. Yeah. If you look, I, I'm enamored by, you know, anthropology, archaeology. That's the study of us in culture and where we came from. And if you study humans, homo, homo sapiens, you know, our relate. We are what we are because of food.

[C]

You are what we eat. Yeah.

[B]

Food literally transformed us into what we are. Every point of evolution along the way is directly to. Tied to our, our relationship with how we got food. Yeah. When our brains got massively huge, it was because we started figuring out, you know, we started eating a ton of meat, our diets changed to have this high protein diet. Right. And then we started cooking food and we use less energy to digest and to chew to have that high protein diet go to our brains. And like then they, they say the scientific revolution spurred out of hunting. Like, like that. Like the idea of trying to find something, study it, understand its patterns, make a hypothesis and try to capture it is how science became a thing is hunting and then agriculture. Right. And then it all stemmed all our Entire relationship for as long as we have six. We are what we are because of our relationship and our behaviors and our habits around food. Yeah. If you think that that is going to change going into the future, why

[C]

would it change backwards?

[B]

We are.

[C]

Which is better for us.

[B]

Yeah. I think we're. Because we're learning. Yeah. I think we've got. The pendulum has swung as far as it can and we're like well that's not. That's the wrong way. We're going too much. Yeah. I agree. Yep.

[C]

Less is more here.

[B]

100.

[C]

Yeah. What.

[B]

What is your hope for the future?

[C]

Better humans.

[B]

So if we're here to transform the industry, what way should we drive be going? What should the future like? What do you want the future to look like?

[C]

I want to say. A better generations than us. Yeah.

[B]

What does that look like? What's better look like?

[C]

So hopefully my children's children's will will learn from the lessons that we pay the price on.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And be better than us.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

That's my hope. To produce better than what I am.

[B]

What about the restaurant industry specifically, how can we make the restaurant industry better?

[C]

It's a big one. Trying not to burn anyone here. More standard. Yes. But a little bit more collected.

[B]

What do you mean by that?

[C]

Climbing up. I went through some nasty shifts and I knew that I have to pay the price to. In order to become.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I don't get emotional. I'm gonna get sensitive about it. But it's. It doesn't make it right. Therefore we don't have that culture here. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I've really enjoyed today's conversation. I wrap up every chat. Actually one thing we didn't talk about today, I hope and I want to know in terms of technology, you don't have a pos. Old school. Old school. What about reservations? How are you collecting these reservations?

[C]

We actually make a phone call.

[B]

Oh, that's so cool. So you're not leveraging any technology? We.

[C]

The technology that leverages is the fact that we made a Google Doc reservation form.

[B]

I love it. Less is more. Sometimes I do think that there is an over complication of the restaurant industry.

[C]

Harder.

[B]

Right. We're being told we need to be online. We need to do all these things. We need more systems to accommodate the convenience of the. The consumer expectation. What the consumer wants. But I don't know if the consumer wants. Necessarily wants convenience as much as they're being sold that they want convenience because people. If you look at what people need, convenience is nowhere on that list of maslow's hierarchy of needs. But marketing says, hey, like we exploit fear, inconvenience.

[C]

They have to justify.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I think that there's something there where it's like, are we over complicating things? I think the answer might be yes.

[C]

I think most of the things can be kept very simple. Right.

[B]

So a couple questions I ask all my guests before we say goodbye. What is one thing about your business? A value, a process, a system that's truly uncommon.

[C]

The old school.

[B]

Old school.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Sticking to the roots. The mission statement is to change the world by inspiring, empowering, and transforming the industry. We're going to do that by transforming one owner at a time. How have you personally transformed. How are you a better man today than the men you were when we got started?

[C]

Yeah, I'm more present doing service with a guest, with a chef, with a dishwasher, with a server. I'm present. I'm with them. Yeah.

[B]

Is there any resource book like what got you here?

[C]

Because I feel like you have so many.

[B]

Like, recommend a book to help us be more present.

[C]

A think and grow rich.

[B]

Second time it's been mentioned in a day.

[C]

Napoleon Hill.

[B]

Yeah. That's a classic. If you got the news, this is a long question. Oh, ears open. If you got the news, you'd be leaving this world tomorrow.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

All the memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure, with the exception of three pieces of wisdom that you could leave behind for your legacy and for the future. What were those three pieces of wisdom?

[C]

Be.

[B]

Whoa.

[C]

Okay. Of course. Be the solution.

[B]

Be the solution.

[C]

Never the issue. One, Be present too. Lift others 3.

[B]

This has been so much fun.

[C]

Yeah, man.

[B]

Thank you so much.

[C]

I appreciate you.

[B]

Thank you so much. I can't do what I do with people like you. You make my work possible. The flexibility, the welcoming in the coffee, the. The chapa chica chico. Maybe I'll reach out to them, see if they want to sponsor the podcast. So who do you respect and admire? Somebody that you think I should get on the show. That is doing it right. That will leave our listeners is elevated after hearing what they have to say.

[C]

Are you gonna travel to Arkansas anytime soon?

[B]

I. It doesn't matter where they are. I'll find a reason to go. If I have one lead in Arkansas,

[C]

that will be Arkansas.

[B]

Bentville, Arkansas. Who am I talking to there?

[C]

You gonna talk to Matthew. He's the chef owner of Conifer and Rhianne. Matthew Cooper.

[B]

Conifer and Rhian, Yeah. Wait, so what?

[C]

His name is Matthew Cooper?

[B]

Matt Cooper is his name. Matthew Cooper. And what's the name of his restaurant?

[C]

Conifer.

[B]

Coniferne. Look out, Matt. I'm coming after you. I'd love to get you on the show. And how can we connect with you if we really enjoyed today's conversation and we maybe want to come meet you, follow you. Social media, social handles, anything like that. What's the best way to connect?

[C]

You can just shoot me a dm. Okay. Anytime we read them, we. I personally do my absolute best to respond.

[B]

And that's Shay S H A I underscore Lovi.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

L A V I underscore atl.

[C]

Yes, sir.

[B]

We'll have that in the show notes. We also have your website in the show notes. Thank you so much for taking the time.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

This is where I say there is no questioning, my man. You are unstoppable.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

Cheers.

[A]

There's another episode wrapped up special thanks to our guest, Shy Lavi. And this was a really great conversation, not just because I got to experience the hospitality on multiple occasions while in Atlanta at the third place, but because so many of the people I talk to, and this is no shade, so many people I talk to, they have scaled 20, 30, some over a hundred locations. And I think there's a lot of pressure on restaurant tours today to scale, and a lot of people getting into the industry more than ever before with the objective to scale. And I don't know if I believe you can make the same impact at scale. The kind of impact we need in the world today, the kind of impact

[B]

where

[A]

there's a level of intimacy and focus on the things that matter most, relationships, and just being still, just being present, focusing on the here, the now, the people in your space, and. And in order to scale, in order to do all the things that are expected from us today, all the places we need to be, the presence we need to have online, the effort that goes into marketing, the effort that goes into technology, and tweaking every little detail to squeeze every ounce, every penny out of our operations. It pulls that energy, pulls from our ability just to be here now, to be where our feet are in this moment. And Shy is somebody who is making an impact on his community by doing. And I think that that's something I want to see more of in the world, is people who can create opportunity for others, create security for others, and do exactly what they love to do by focusing on doing less, more of what matters, which is just being present and delivering that authentic, raw hospitality. And that's what I got from today's conversation. And if you're inspired by this and you want to learn directly from Shai Lavie himself, he's going to be live in in Restaurant unstoppable network on May 25th at 11am so if you enjoyed today's chat and you want to ask the questions you wish I did, or if you want to emulate what he's doing in Atlanta in your own community, be sure to join us. Head over to restaurant unstoppable.com CWE I'll get you the zoom link. Be sure that you know, mark your calendar. It's May 25th at 11am we use that same link for all of our coffee with Eric. So just make sure you're marking your calendar, use that link and we'll see you there. And also if you did not catch the ad that I threw in today promoting what we got going on, I'm really stoked to be promoting this eight

[B]

part series with Albert Sanchez.

[A]

He was episode 1260. He has vibe coded his own restaurant software. And I think that this is exciting times because the bar is getting lower,

[B]

lower, lower and lower and the cost

[A]

of having software in our businesses I

[B]

think is going to get really cheap.

[A]

And I, I love this idea of bringing together restaurant tours across the nation and helping elevating them, lifting them up to create their own solutions that we can share at like next to nothing in terms of cost relative to what else it would cost.

[B]

And if you want to join that

[A]

conversation, head over to restaurantsoppable.com vibecoding we're gonna have 15 people and we're popping this off.

[B]

I believe it's going to be the

[A]

first course on the 19th of May and that's gonna again one once a week, eight weeks.

[B]

We're gonna go deep into developing your

[A]

own scheduling software and that's gonna give you the foundation. And from there there's all sorts of things you can do. So be one of the, one of the 15 people to join us live again restaurantunstoppable.com CWE to join coffee with Eric Shylavy. And if you wanna join Albert Sanchez on vibe coding that will be popping off on the 19th of this month. Head over to restaurantsoppable.com vibecoding all right guys, thanks for sticking around this long. We'll see you in the network and we'll see you next time on the show.

[B]

Peace.